Is it worth paying to trace your ancestry?

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Commercial DNA testing is all the rage, but prices vary widely, as do claims of what the tests can achieve

Interest in our ancestors has surged in recent years, thanks largely to the internet. The latest development is commercial DNA testing, which can reveal the possible migrations of a person’s distant ancestors or help to solve more recent genealogical problems.

The tests are painless, requiring a cheek swab. However, the science behind them is young, prices can be high and the results, as Times Money discovered, can be contradictory. Here we explore the market.

Why Y?

Several companies offer tests of men’s Y chromosomes — a piece of DNA that is passed down the male line and mutates slowly. Results